Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-13
lily HERALD.
-
THE FIRE.
rrOw Escape from a
we're COnfagratiOn
[E CENTER OF THE CITY.
al ROOkeries on Spring
Street Burned in a few
Minutes.
LE CENTER OF THE CITY.

~ PiohiioOei W pC HiioC ~ bci lOuo
grafton broke out last evening
put II o'clock in the Nevada
House on South Spring street,
doors below First. This corner
ing been an eyesore in the very
of the city, being composed of a
er of one-story rookeries, which
have been torn down with
long since. With the Nadeau
ON one side of the street and
Iryson Block diagonally opposite,
rather peculiar that these shan
should have remained so long,
tally when brought into contrast
the buildings surrounding. The
started in the rear portion of the
ida Coffee House, and by the time
engines had reached the scene the
es had spread to the furniture
of T. J. Walton adjoining and to
real estate office of Mckee, Hurst
& Rust, the commission house of
hews Bros. & Barting, Moody's
ETY. store and Ferdinand Reiche' s
elry store, which stores were also
ipied in part by other real estate
IS. The buildings were really
th very little except for kindling
ID, and the wonder was that the
department was able to save any
hem from the corner. AS soon as
ras discovered that the fire was
eading, the people, of whom there
e many, entered the furniture
re and removed the contents
| furniture to the opposite side
the street. While this was
ing place the people flocked
the vicinity by the thousand,
racted by the brightness OF the
flames, which made it appear as
! more serious confagration was in
Dgress than really was the case. The
ests of the Nadeau Hotel gathered
the windows and on the porticO and
ltched the scene with curiosity,
hough at one time there was con-
lerable alarm felt as to the safety OF
at building. The arrival of the de-
.rtment and a cooler judgment of the
;uation by some of the gentlemen
on quieted the fears of the more
mid, and at II o'clock all danger of a
rther spread was past. The fire de-
irtment arrived on the scene in a
cry short time and the water was put
\ the fire in a very few seconds. Five
.inutes afterward there was
0 danger but what the flames
ould be confined to the
mits they then occupied. On
ne occasion number of firemen, who
ad reached the top of flimsy wood
n awning, in an effort to direct a
;ream on the top of the flames, We're
recipitated to the sidewalk by the
wing away of the structure. Shortly
fterward several firemen were stand
lg in front of the coffee house direct
lg a stream into the hottest part of
ne fire when the front wall gave way,
,vering them with charred wood.
luckily no one was hurt, although it
as feared that they might have been.
he most valuable stock of goods
hich had been in the structures
urned was in the jewelry store, but
le diamonds and jewelry, valued at
20 900, were locked up in the safe
hich was uninjured. Nothing re-
lained outside of this except the
ocks and show cases, which were
lrried into a safe place. A consider
BILE portion of the furniture
ore was saved in a some
hat damaged condition, but
good deal perished in the flames.
he contents of the Nevada coffee
ouse we're almost entirely destroyed
nd those of the variety store were in
le same predicament. In consider
~ the question of damages the
uildings do not count since they were
cry old. The Nevada coffee houses
lrniture and fixtures amounted to
bout $500. T. j. Walton's loss in
,rniture amounted to about $1,000.
erdinand Reiche lost in clocks
nd fixtures about $500. The
,ock in Moody's variety store
as damaged in about $500.
[atthews Bros, and Barting lost
bout $500 in damage by fire, smoke
nd water, and the various ro.tl estate
rms lost furniture, maps and books
alued at about $500. Total oss with
ut the buildings about $4,000. A slight
,surance was listed on some of the
laces and will partially cover the loss.
,fficer Moore arrested L. Gilbert for
tealing a pair Of opera glasses from a
now case during the fire. The cause
the fire was the explosion of a gaso-
ne stove kept at the rear of the cof-
,e house for heating purposes.
ALMOST A PANIC.
About five minutes before the fire
roke out last night the last act OF
,indereHa was being rendered at the
irand Opera House. This is a spec
acular act, and a number of Chinese
anterns are suspended and moved up
nd down from poles overhead. Dur
ng the swaying of the poles one was
rOpped and a number OF lanterns
aught on fire and came very near set
ing the cloth drop scenery on fire.
dany people saw that such a thing was
and it caused a timid feel
no among the ladies'. A minute later
he fire bells sounded and from the
windows in the gallery of the theater
ould be seen the leaping flames.
dany people thought the fire was in
II adjacent to the theater and started
,ut. Some ladies rushed out with
heir husbands and a stampede looked
probable. Mostly everybody was ex'
tied. Henry T. Hazard, who was
present with his wife, called to the
,eople to be seated and his efforts
aimed them considerably. About this
ime many people who saw where tho
ire was from the gallery also gave
,ood counsel and kept the people
eated.